Content guidelines (euphemism for
censorship) exist, even as we write, in all major content
providers (CompuServe, AOL, Yahoo!-Geocities, Tripod,
Prodigy).
The Bloodbath
This is the phase of consolidation. The number of players is
severely reduced. The number of browser types will settle on
2-3 (Netscape, Microsoft and Opera?). Networks will merge to
form privately owned mega-networks. Servers will merge to form
hyper-servers run on supercomputers in "server farms". The
number of ISPs will be considerably cut. 50 companies ruled
the greater part of the media markets in the USA in 1983. The
number in 1995 was 18. At the end of the century they will
number 6.
This is the stage when companies - fighting for financial
survival - strive to acquire as many users/listeners/viewers
as possible. The programming is shallowed to the lowest (and
widest) common denominator. Shallow programming dominates as
long as the bloodbath proceeds.
From Rags to Riches
Tough competition produces four processes:
1. A Major Drop in Hardware Prices
This happens in every medium but it doubly applies to a
computer-dependent medium, such as the Internet.
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